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Is the Movement to Achieve Greater Societal Sustainability Reaching the Consumer? The story is being well told -– a growing number institutional shareowners and their global networks of asset managers steadily embrace ESG / sustainable investing approaches. Corporations of all sizes are adopting sustainability strategies and churning out sustainability and responsibility reports to tell the story of their sustainability journey. Many national, state and local governments are following through on their commitments made in Paris in 2015 (the Paris Accord on climate change). NGOs galore are focused on driving sustainability into all corners of human behavior. What about the vast global consumer market? What’s happening at the consumer level? The House Beautiful magazine (part of the Hearst UK Fashion & Beauty Network) brings us news from the UK about one large company’s sustainability-focused marketing efforts. The headline: Why 2018 is the year sustainability went mainstream. The most-watched TV show of the year was the BBC series on sustainability. And at least one major retailer has put “sustainability at the heart of everything we do,” says its senior sustainability manager. The firm in focus is John Lewis & Partners (manufacturers and marketers of “homeware, fashion, furniture, electricals,” mens and womens wear). The employee-owned company offers its lines of products through a vast network of retail outlets. What is the company doing? It has introduced a duvet (quilt bed cover) made of 100% recycled polyester from plastic bottles (120 bottles = one duvet). The product is made in an “eco-factory” running on renewable energy. The company has its own factories as well as contract manufacturers. The S’well Geode Rose drinking water bottle sales are up year-to-year (by 37%) says the company. Glassware made from recycled glass is offered in the company’s John Lewis Croft Collection. As alternatives to tin foil and plastic cling film for food storage the company offers brands “Stasher” and “Bees Wrap” -– silicone kitchen storage bags. The company works with the Re-Use Network in marketing its new sofas; when a customer buys a new sofa in the “Thomas Snuggler” line, the company arranges for the old sofa to be re-used or re-cycled in collaboration with local charities that support disadvantaged communities. All of this and more is in its annual 2018 Retail Report. Shoppers became more conscious about what they buy and where the products come from, explains the company. And, this was the year we took it upon ourselves to build a more sustainable future rather than leaving it to others. The company (“partnership”) is the largest employee-owned company in the United Kingdom. “Partners” (83,000 permanent staff) own 50 John Lewis shops across the United Kingdom, plus Waitrose supermarkets, shops at Heathrow International, online and catalogue shops, production facilities, farms, and more. Founder John Spedan Lewis created a “constitution” to define the business and how individual “partners” are expected to behave toward stakeholders. This reminds us of the foundational document of Johnson & Johnson (“the credo”) here in the USA. The partnership model was and is “an experiment in industrial democracy,” showing that long-term success can come from “co-ownership” with shared power and collective responsibilities. Societal challenges like climate change and social inequality guide company thinking. Its human rights report and related information is available at: https://www.johnlewispartnership.co.uk/This Week's Top Story Why 2018 is the year sustainability went mainstream And along the lines of sustainability-themed marketing… Nielsen: How do sales of sustainable products stack up? Sustainability: Continuing Forward Momentum! Everything you may have missed: The sustainability success stories of Green GB Week Tufts to Offer Master’s Degree in Sustainability Sustainability for the next generation
Our Focus This Week on A Range of ESG Topics & Issues - More For You to Think About. What Will Be the Future Impact of These Developments? 2018 Proxy Season Results in Silicon Valley and Large Companies Nationwide Merkel moves to open up Germany to US gas imports after Trump's push: report Innovative Ways To Promote CSR Besides Donating Money NY alleges Exxon Mobil defrauded investors about risks of climate change policies Walking The Walk In Socially Responsible Investing Headlines From the Corporate Sector - Both Positive & Negative Sustainability an integral component of PepsiCo performance Xerox 2018 Global Corporate Social Responsibility Report Showcases Commitment to Sustainability, Social Investment, Governance Employee-led sustainability initiatives encourage community engagement Behind the Hype of Walmart’s Sustainability Efforts And the Headlines of interest… Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey complains of 'unfairness' in proposed San Francisco corporate tax to support the homeless as Salesforce chief bashes his fellow billionaire for 'hoarding' McCain Foods confirmed as corn supplier behind multiple recalls in U.S. Amazon, Super Micro Join Apple in Demanding Retraction of Bloomberg Story on Hacked Server Boards BMW recalls more than 1 million cars over exhaust system fire risk Major airline Cathay Pacific says up to 9.4 million passengers had their data stolen Wells Fargo scandals spark more executive turmoil Delta Air Lines to ban straws on flights by 2019 Volkswagen and the moral business behaviour lessons Headlines From the Corporate Sector - Both Positive & Negative
Other Perspectives Shared America’s energy dominance is a remarkable achievement Why Am I Bullish On Tesla? Even climate do-gooders end up hurting the environment Sustainability is actually not sustainable
News & Opinion: Asset Managers, Sovereign Wealth Funds, Pension Funds The piously politically correct blue state that bankrolls Putin New York State Common Retirement Fund returns 0.19% for fiscal year China’s financial crisis team goes into overdrive with 10th meeting in two months Money vs. morals: Khashoggi killing raises questions in Silicon Valley about Saudi investment |
G&A Institute Sustainability Update™ California – America’s Sovereign State of Sustainability Superlatives! Why the Olive Tree and Sustainability?
________________________________________ _________________________________________ Louis Coppola from G&A Institute Goes In Depth on How to Improve ESG Performance
_________________________________________ Governance & Accountability Institute Research FLASH REPORT: 85% of S&P 500 Index® Companies Publish Sustainability Reports in 2017
Using The GRI Sustainability Reporting Framework Improves The Quality of ESG Disclosures - Joint Research From G&A Institute and Baruch College Shows
________________________________________ GRI'S USA, UK & IRELAND
G&A Institute is the Data Partner for the Global Reporting Initiative's (GRI) in the USA, UK and Republic of Ireland. We identify, receive, collect, analyze, database, and communicate about every report issued in any of the 3 countries. Over the past 6+ years, G&A analyzed 6,000-plus sustainability reports in this pro bono role and databased 100+ important data points for each report. Find out more @ G&A's What's A Data Partner
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Navigating the way to sustainability... | |||||||||
The Sustainability Highlights eNewsletter is prepared by Governance & Accountability Institute, Inc. based on continuous monitoring of trends and developments in Sustainability and ESG. Governance & Accountability Instiute is the "Sustainability Headquarters™" for clients in the corporate, investment, public and social sectors. Based in New York, G&A is a for-profit consulting organization providing a range of value-added strategies, services and resources related to ESG & sustainability to clients in the corporate and capital markets communities.For G&A's full range of services, click on each of the links below: For more information, contact Governance & Accountability Institute, Inc. | ||||||||||
A special note from our Editor-in-Chief, Ken Cynar:
Investor Data Review & Enhancement
